5 Keynoters on Education’s Hottest Topics Coming to ISTE 2018

Taking the stage in Chicago this summer to keynote at the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) Conference and Expo, June 24-27, are five speakers who aim to inspire educators with their thinking on brain science, STEM, creative instigation and leadership.

The conference will feature hundreds of experiential learning opportunities, including a new student hackathon and film festival; an expo hall with over 500 vendors sharing hands-on edtech experiences – from robots to 3D printing to virtual reality; and nearly two dozen playgrounds presented by educators and students to explore the hottest topics in edtech.

Neuroscientist David Eagleman, Ph.D., a bestselling author, professor, speaker, inventor and adviser who uses his knowledge of the brain to not only break down how it works, but to show how you can change your own thinking and find more creativity in your daily life. Reviewers of his book The Brain: The Story of You promise that “on every page there is a revelation so fantastic as to make one gasp.” Eagleman’s TED Talk audiences agree.

Andy Weir, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Martian (also a major motion picture starring Matt Damon) and the bestselling novel, Artemis, knows the power of STEM subjects. The Martian, which The Wall Street Journal called “the best pure sci-fi novel in years,” delves into orbital mechanics, botany and conditions on Mars. A software engineer for more than two decades, Weir encourages students to be more creative and envision a colorful future through the power of science.

Katie Martin, Ph.D., the head of partnerships for the West at AltSchool and the former director of district leadership for the Buck Institute for Education. A leader, teacher and speaker, Martin believes that if we want to change how students learn, we must change how educators learn. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in middle school education, and her doctoral studies focused on new teacher induction.

Michael Cohen, a designer, educator and creativity instigator known as The Tech Rabbi. His mission is to help educators around the world reveal their own creative abilities so they can empower students to solve interesting problems and become positive contributors to our global society. When he isn’t traveling the world sharing his message, he serves as the director of innovation for Yevisha University of Los Angeles Boys School (YULA).

Nadia Lopez, Ph.D., was launched from a Brooklyn public middle school principal to an educational celebrity overnight when one of her students credited her as the greatest influence in his life on the Humans of New York blog. Today, this founder of Mott Hall Bridges Academy uses her platform to encourage and assist underprivileged communities in creating their own positive impacts.